Blog Party 3

Hi, It's me, Clodagh again. I love all the animal stories, don't forget you can still enter today too. I've got tons of animal stories but Nell said I wasn't eligible. Keep dropping by as there are tons of goodies coming up.
Look out from Friday, Saturday and Sunday for a whole host of Little Black Dress authors who will be dropping by with excerpts and some prizes, Julie Cohen, Kristin Harmel, Caprice Crane and Phillipa Ashley, amongst others are just some of the guests - exciting!

Anyway today I promised another excerpt from Animal Instincts: This is the scene when Marty, my sister's agent appears to try and bail her out of the mess she got into on the chat show -

The sound of another car barrelling up the private track and into the yard was a good indication that today wasn’t shaping up to be particularly lucky. This time the car in question was a trendy little hot hatch in bright red. Or, at least, it had been bright red before it got coated in dust from the lane.
I watched as Immi’s agent emerged from the car wearing a peacock-blue silk suit and shoes so high they would give any normal person a nosebleed. She crushed her cigarette beneath the toe of her stiletto before opening her boot to pull out one of Immi’s pink suitcases. This was not a good sign - it looked as if Immi would be staying.
“Marty!” My sister deafened me with a yelp of delight at the sight of her agent.
I left Immi in the kitchen and went to help Marty with the case. It turned out she’d packed more than one. It definitely looked as if Immi would be with me for much longer than either one of us really wanted.
“Bloody awful journey. Traffic was terrible. Is she in the house? No press? Good-oh.” Marty picked up a pink vanity box and matching holdall, leaving me with the big suitcase. She strutted briskly toward the house while I struggled along in her wake. If I didn’t know better I would have sworn she’d packed bricks in the thing, it felt so heavy.
By the time I had panted up the back step and into the kitchen Marty and Immi were already air-kissing and ‘darling’-ing one another. I dropped the big heavy case and put the kettle on as Immi took Marty through to the lounge. Just before the door closed behind them I heard Dave shout some welcoming obscenities from his cage in the corner.
I’d barely had time to put the mugs on a tray when the door into the hall opened again and Immi bounced back into the kitchen.
“That bloody bird.” She whisked the tray of coffees from my hands.
“I’ll cover him back up if you like. He gets lonely and he enjoys company. At the brothel he had all the working girls to talk to him.”
Immi rolled her eyes. “I’ll strangle him if he doesn’t shut up.”
I followed Immi into the lounge. Marty was perched on a chair next to the window. She’d pushed up the sash and balanced her ashtray on the sill. Dave huffed up and down his perch, cackling and bobbing his head.
“Twenty-five quid for topless!” He gave a squawk of protest as I dodged his beak to put the cover back over his cage. He’d still shout but at least the noise would be muffled.
Immi passed a strong black coffee to Marty, who promptly produced a small tub of sweeteners from her bag and dropped three tablets into the mug.
(C) Nell Dixon 2009 Animal Instincts

Blog Party 2

Hello, my name is Clodagh, I see you've met my sister, Immi. She's the glamerous one of the family. I prefer to live more quietly on my animal sanctuary Rainbow Ridge. I've lots of animals, some are suitable for rehoming and some will stay here with me. We've geese, chickens and ducks, a vietnamese potbellied pig called Rosie, Mr Sheen, the goat, rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs. I've two donkeys, Miko and Pasquale and ignore Immi, they are not gay, donkeys are simply happier if they live in pairs. I've a cat called Clive and a large Irish wolfhound called Nigel that I'm minding for someone. Then of course there's Dave.
Dave is a parrot, he's rude and noisy and a bit vicious. Nell called him Dave as a joke. Apparantly it's her husbands name and for years now whenever she's talked about her plots with Mr Nell he has two suggestions - one is the plot from Lassie come home - well, that's clearly never going to happen. The other is to put a parrot in the story.
So she did and I got lumbered with him. Dave the parrot's former owner was the Madam of a brothel and Dave lived in a room where the girls took their breaks and made rude phone calls. He picked up their language. I've rehomed him five times now, the parrot that is - not Mr Nell, and like a boomerang he keeps coming back.
Nell is offering a prize today of a signed cover flat of Animal Instincts along with some other surprise goodies to whoever can tell her, and me, the most entertaining animal story. She'll pick a winner on Thursday so loads of time for you all to comment.
I'll be back tomorrow with another excerpt. See you later, I need to go and muck out the stables.

Blog Party 1

Hi, It's Immi again, Nell asked me to put up another excerpt today so here goes, this is from Clodagh and Jack's first official date - enjoy the read - oh! and I did not do anything to that man - well, not much anyway. Check in tomorrow to meet Clodagh and for the first of the door prizes and a contest


I released his sleeve and he opened the door of the Range Rover. My heart was pounding with a mixture of concern for Immi, annoyance that I’d allowed myself to be coerced into this date, and, strangely, desire for the man who was standing so close to me in the moonlight.
“I’ll give you the money for my share of the meal.” I opened my bag.
“It doesn’t matter.” Jack’s voice sounded surprisingly gentle considering the way I had behaved.
His mouth closed on mine and somehow my arms found their way around his back. His lips traced a line along my jaw to my ear lobe and my insides turned to mush with longing. I tried to focus and remember that I was mad with him.
“Jack, we can’t…We need to get back.” My words came out as a mumble. What was I doing dallying about under the stars when my sister could be in danger?
He lifted his head and his eyes met mine. “Then we’d better go.”
My legs shook for a good five minutes after we’d set off towards Rainbow Ridge, driving in silence down the deserted lanes. I guess neither of us wanted to talk about what was going on between us.
As we neared the edge of the town, guilt compelled me to speak. “I did call Immi from the loo, but I don’t think she’s pretending about there being a prowler. Before you picked me up tonight I thought I saw someone in the yard.”
Jack flicked a glance at me as we zipped through a set of traffic lights. “I don’t understand. What changed between us arriving at the restaurant and your great desire to escape from me?”
He turned into the private lane that led to the sanctuary yard. The blue car was back in the lay-by.
“It’s complicated.” I didn’t know how to explain. I didn’t want to explain. “You had steak and you didn’t let me pay.” I had the car door open before he’d even turned off the engine.
Jack followed me out of the car. “Wait up, Clo. What do you mean I had steak and you didn’t pay?”
The sensor light above the back door clicked on. Immi must have been looking out for us because the door opened and Nigel came loping down the step barking his large furry head off. Before I could grab him he’d galloped off down the path by the donkey pasture.
“Nigel. Heel!”
Fishcakes. I set off in pursuit of the dog. Behind me I heard Jack shout to Immi to bring a torch.
I caught up with the runaway hound as he sniffed around the silage bales. In the distance I heard a faint shriek that sounded like Immi and some more masculine cursing that I suspected might be Jack. It didn’t sound good, heaven knows what they had found. My imagination ran wild and I wished I’d got my mobile in my pocket in case there was trouble. I managed to get Nigel away from the bales and with a bit of persuasion we headed back to the yard.
All I could see as Nigel and I puffed our way back to the house was Jack and Immi standing next to what appeared to be a man’s body.
Or a pair of legs, at least.
(C) Nell Dixon 2009 Animal Instincts

Animal Instincts is available from Waterstones, WH Smiths, Amazon, Play.com and all good retailers.

Blog Party

Hi, my name is Imogen Martin, Immi to my friends, and all this week we're going to be holding a party here on Nell's blog to celebrate the release of Animal Instincts. Nell did say something to Clodagh about doing it - apparantly this book is about her, but really, Clodagh's a bit busy any way with those animals of hers. I'm considering some film offers at the minute and said I could spare a few days. After all I am a professional actress, so this should be a piece of cake. You may recognise me as the face of Blitzclean mouthwash and from my role as Gemma in the daytime soap, All our families. (I was the neurotic daughter of the vineyard owner)Of course there was also that small 'contretemps' on a chat show a while back but that's water under the bridge.
Nell is offering some prizes and I'll put up some more excerpts as the week goes on so come and leave a comment and say Hi. It could be your lucky day.

Counting down!

To the big day and the release of Animal Instincts! I'm starting to get really nervous now, hoping people will like it.
Here's a little snippet just so you can meet Clodagh and Immi.

Clodagh Martin is fond of her celebrity sister Imogen, but in small doses. So when she turns up drunk at Rainbow's End, Clodagh's animal sanctuary, announcing she's in trouble and staying for a long visit, Clodagh's not exactly delighted. She has enough problems right now. The business is broke, and there's been a worrying wave of vandalism. Is someone really trying to ruin her? A big property magnate, bad-lad Jack Thatcher, has been showing a rather strong interest in Clodagh lately. But is it her or her assets he's after?


The light from the hall spilled out into the night illuminating the two figures on my front doorstep.
“Surprise!” Immi wobbled on her heels and blinked owlishly at me, “I’ve got a present for you.” She waved an unopened bottle of champagne in my face.
“That’ll be sixty quid, Miss.” The taxi driver supporting my sozzled step-sister leaned her against the doorframe, a look of relief on his florid features. He must have driven her quite a distance to want sixty pounds and it was typical of Immi not to have any money with her.
“Pay the man, Clo,” Immi ordered and staggered sideways, flinging her arm around the driver’s neck to steady herself.
“Whoops!” She giggled.
The only money I had in the house – the only cash I had at all¬ – was hidden in the greedy pig cookie barrel in the kitchen. I left Immi and her new friend on the doorstep and scurried off to fetch the cash, mentally cursing her as I went.
As soon as the cabbie had been paid I yanked her inside and closed the door.
She peered at me in the dim yellow light of the hallway. “Wassup Clo? Were you in bed?”
Well, duh, it was two o’clock in the morning and my pyjamas would be a big clue. I steered her into the kitchen and put the kettle on. One - or both of us - needed coffee.
Immi flopped on to one of the mismatched wooden chairs next to the Aga and plunked the champagne bottle down on the table. Her long blonde hair was tousled and her usually immaculate make-up was smudged. She was dressed in a silvery mini dress and matching cardi, as if she’d been out clubbing.
“God, I need a drink.” She leaned forward on to the table, scattering a pile of bills and final demands as she buried her head in her arms.
“I think you’ve had enough to drink.”
Having my half-cut step-sister turn up out of the blue at such an odd hour wasn’t strange in itself. Normally, however, she would arrive with a full set of matched pink luggage, her mobile phone glued to her ear as she ranted on about whichever boyfriend of the moment had broken her heart. She would then stay for less than a day until the errant male in question arrived with his arms full of roses to beg her forgiveness.
She lifted her head. “You don’t understand, Clodagh. My life is over. Ruined.” The dramatic effect of her statement was slightly marred by the slurring. I wondered where she’d been to arrive on my doorstep at this hour of the night.
“I’m sure it can’t be that bad.”
“S’worse than bad.” She nodded her head drunkenly.
Her mood had changed from happy drunk to depths of despair during the short stagger from the hall to the kitchen. Oh boy, at this rate I would be the one needing a drink; her current man trouble must be worse than usual. It had to be a boyfriend problem. Immi was the only person in the world with worse judgement than me when it came to men. I moved my book-keeping paperwork to one side and slid a mug of black coffee in front of her. “Drink this.”
Immi fixed big, tear-filled blue eyes on me. “I’m serious. I’m in big trouble.”
I wasn’t unduly shocked by her declaration. My stepsister always thought her emotional crises were the end of the world. I’d been holding her hand and passing her tissues ever since she’d hit her teens. She always fell in love too hard and too fast.
I took the chair opposite hers. “Who is it this time?” I’d been racking my brains while I’d made the coffee to try and recall the name of her current squeeze.
She sniffed and wiped away a tear with the side of her finger. “It’s not a man. It’s a TV show.”
There was a roll of kitchen towel on the counter, so I passed it over. Career issues were also nothing new. Immi’s an actress. Not A list, more like C list but with higher aspirations. She’d had some good supporting roles, is the face of Blitzclean mouthwash and has a part in a daytime soap. Her lifestyle is a million miles away from mine, hers is glamour and glitter, my life is denim and doggy. I don’t know much about Immi’s world– I don’t even own a TV any more.
© Nell Dixon 2009
http://www.nelldixon.com to read more
Available from http://www.amazon.co.uk/Animal-Instincts-Little-Black-Dress/dp/0755345207/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232824702&sr=8-2

Play.com Book Depositary and all good bookstores.

Train travel

Tomorrow I'm off to Lancashire for the day job. Tim and I are visiting the lovely people at the wildlife trust who visited with us a few weeks ago. We've decided to go by train as I'm not keen on the bit of motorway between Manchester and Liverpool, plus as you all know I'm not the world's greatest driver.
I've booked next week off work - I'd got to use up my annual leave before April and as Animal Instincts is due to make it's debut on Wednesday - squee! I thought I'd enjoy feeling less pressured.
Miss La is due home tomorrow from her week away so no doubt we'll be regaled with lots of stories and I'll be presented with much muddy washing.

Sofa, so good

Okay, so it's a bad pun but the old suite is gone and I have a new unbroken sofa to sit on - yay! It seems to be new book mania at the moment with lots of new releases coming up. If you stop by the Samhain site check out my romance diva friend - R F Long and her book, The Scroll Thief. I've an interview on my My Space blog with her this week. Also releasing soon, I think it's the same day as Animal Instincts is my good friend Amanda Ashby's Zombie Queen of Newbury High. The link to Amanda's blog is in the sidebar - go on over she's having an amazing ten day blog party with lots of great authors stopping by.
Then of course it's Phillipa Ashley with It Should Have Been Me and if you haven't read the excerpt yet on the Little Black Dress site then check it out. She's also giving away a copy of her book on her blog.
I'm planning some partying of my own but my webman tells me my newly revamped site will be up at the end of the week so I'll wait for that to make my announcements.
By the way don't forget that Phillipa and I will be at Waterstones, Merry Hill on Sat Mar 7th 12 till 2.

Minus one

Miss La has gone off on her residential holiday. To prepare for her momentous trip she packed Pudding - (her dog from the bear factory)a bag of biscuits (In case the food is lacking) and painted her fingernails black. Luckily I packed the rest of the things while she agonised over whether she should take leg warmers and did I think Pudding needed a case of his own?
For the record my answer was no and no. Hopefully they'll have some dry weather to explore the wilds of not very sunny Albrighton before she returns on Friday.

Household Law

An offshoot from the rather better known Murphy's law, household law dictates that whenever you order something for the home or have work done in the home there shall be a problem. Nothing ever arrives as it should, gets done when they say it will or goes ahead without a hitch.
Yesterday the new furniture arrived. In order to get the sofa into the house (it's large) the movers had to undo the shades from the hall light. Once in the lounge they zipped on all the cushions and headed back to the ranch. At this point me and Mr Nell went to turn the sofa around so it faced the right way. Household law struck with the discovery that the frame appeared to be strangely bendy. We suspect it's actually fractured. Cue phone calls to the furniture people - a new replacement sofa is scheduled to be delivered now on Tuesday. In the meantime I have no ceiling light in the hall - there seems little point in putting it all back up if it's got to come off again - and all the pleasure of getting something new and nice is gone. Not to mention that having spent all of yesterday waiting in as they couldn't be bothered to call and give me a rough delivery time, I now have to spend all of Tuesday hanging around too.

Whee!

Okay, so it probably means I sold one copy but a friend just emailed to say did I know I was at number five on Tesco.com's coming soon bestseller list for romantic fiction.
Eeek!!
Here
I know, these things are pretty meaningless but even so it's a bit exciting. Okay, so it's a lot exciting - it's been a long day - much cleaning, nuff said

Cleaning

Well, we hired the Rug doctor cleaner from Focus and have now cleaned the dining room carpert and all the chairs, the lounge carpet, the hall carpet and five rugs. I think Mr Nell has now run out of flat oblects to clean and has taken the cleaner back. I think if the belles had stood still long enough he may have tried to clean them too. Actually, Miss La may have benefitted from it - she always reminds us of 'Pigpen' the Peanuts character by Charles Schultz.
Tomorrow the new furniture is due to arrive and I have to put everything back - cue more cleaning. Did I mention cleaning is not number one on my list of things to do?

Green shoots

No, not the ones the govt keeps claiming it can see in the economy but the the ones in my garden. The Snowdrops are open, buds are forming on the Magnolia and the bulbs are poking their heads above the soil. The birds are reappearing on the bird stand and I'm hoping my Wisteria is going to be okay this year.
The new three piece suite is arriving on Saturday so we have to lug the old one out and store it until the council come to collect it on Tuesday. Very exciting - can't wait to see what it looks like in the lounge. I'm toying with hiring a carpet cleaner and cleaning the carpets while the room is empty - haven't decided on that one yet.
Then I have to wait for the carpet people to call and tell me the bedroom carpet is here. So far we've drawn a blank on the door. I know exactly what I want - I've even seen the door but the company's are either too lazy, too inept or - in the case of one firm where I saw my dream door - the salesman was aggressive, rude and stank of stale cigarette smoke, plus he was talking rubbish, for me to give them an order.
I think I'll get my furniture and carpet done first and then try again for my new door. There has to be someone out there who can keep a promise to call back and do what I ask.

Holding your baby

My first advance copy arrived on Saturday of Animal Instincts. I finally read it from cover to cover last night. It's so strange reading your own work when it's finally out there as a book, for all the world to read - or not - as the case might be. Writing Animal Instincts was strange, it felt like the book that would never end as I was writing it. I think it has a different feel to my other books - I don't know, I never could judge my own work. I know that I still love poor vulnerable Clodagh and the bolder but ultimately flawed Immi and Jack, hotheaded and totally delicious - sigh. I just hope other people will love them too and the animal cast of charcters who surround them.
I've finished another chapter of Crystal Clear and so far I'm still on target for this month. The plot is coming together now for Azure and Marla and I'm looking forward to writing the next few chapters especially as Drew is now very firmly in the frame lol.

Busy-ness

As it's half term I took Miss La shopping this morning for items she needs for her residential holiday next week. New trainers, pyjamas, a track suit and shorts. More money, I wouldn't mind but this holiday is so ridiculously expensive already and they don't go till next Monday afternoon and return on Friday lunchtime. It's costing more than we spend on a fortnights holiday in the tourer for all five of us and they're only going to Staffordshire!
Next stop was the dentists for all three of them. I may have mentioned this before but our dentist is very nice - he looks like Vin Diesel. Fortunately they all got a clean bill of health so that's done for another six months.
I'm hoping I might squeeze in some writing time at some point today but next stop is Miss La's guitar lesson.

Fish!

My angel fish - Angie - is very unpopular as she's eaten two of the neon's. We've also lost a couple of Platys and one of the red gourami with various problems. Hence our trip to the aquatics place today for more fish. Two pretty pale blue dwarf gourami to keep our lone blue male company, two kissing gourami and two yellow rainbow fish. Next weekend we're going to get some more Molly's. I want some more Platys but they were out of stock. The belle's are all very happy now even though Angie is already giving the powder blues the evil eye from her corner of the tank.
The library talk went okay yesterday, thanks so much to everyone who came and to Christina and the staff of Kings Norton library for making it such a lovely pleasant afternoon.
Writing wise I'm on target for this month with two chapters done of Crystal Clear and one done of A Scattering of Leaves. I need to do two more chapters of Crystal Clear to meet my schedule for this month and anything extra is a bonus. However as it's halfterm week I may not get so much done. I've also got a ton of work to do for this wretched course - quite how I'm going to achieve that I've no idea especially when I've nothing to use as a marker to tell me how high to pitch the work. I think it would be easier if my heart was in it but it's not.

Valentine's Day

Some people get flowers for Valentine's or chocolates or jewellery. I got breakfast in bed in the form of a bacon and sausage sandwich. Mr Nell knows the way to a Black Country girl's heart.
If anybody is near Kings Norton Library this afternoon 2.30 till 3.30 drop in - I'm chatting about writing and Little Black Dress and my latest books. (There are goodie bags and hot chocolate)
Have a great day!

Well...poop

Yesterday was not a good day - somehow in the course of my day I managed to travel through Birmingham in the traffic from Hell, break two sets of automatic doors, trapping myself behind the one set for just long enough to get a parking ticket. To complete my misery I got a crashing migraine.
I think it must have been lets get Aquarians day yesterday as my lovely job share partner endured a five hour journey to get into the office and she ended up with a migraine too.
I think we've decided to just draw a line under that one and forget that Wednesday ever happened so this week is officially a six day week.

Things I'm doing today

I'm on a course today, I think it lasts for three days - one day per month for the next three months. I'm sure it'll be very useful and I'll probably enjoy it once I'm there but the programme doesn't make your heart sing with joy and excitement.
It also means I'm missing the RNA annual awards dinner in London where they'll be announcing the winners of this years Romance Prize and the Romance Novel of the Year award.
mmm, let me think about this - sitting in a classroom in Wolverhampton or hobbing and nobbing with my agent and editor in a posh London hotel.
Sigh - better not think about it too much.
(Actually I've never managed to hob and nob with anyone really other than my RNA friends - I just like to think that someday I actually might)

Ladies who lunch

Today was lovely as I met up with Phillipa Ashley and Elizabeth Hanbury for one of our irregular writerly lunches. We spent a happy couple of hours at the vineyard eating yummy food and talking. We also did lots of laughing and I think we all came out feeling energised and ready to write again. There's something great about being with other writers that always perks you right up and makes you think about your work in a new light. Writing can be a very solitary life so making contact with kindred spirits is even more important. That's my excuse for dipping around the net chatting with friends on messenger and catching up on blogs.

Birthday!

Today is my birthday and I've been lucky enough to get lots of bunches of these - daffodils, my favourite flower. I've had lots of lovely flowers, money, perfume, book vouchers, socks and some wonderful cards and messages. I'm very lucky to have such great friends and family.

It's up!

Squee, Read an extract here Animal Instincts is up on the Little Black Dress website so you can read. I'm so excited - less than one month to go!

Suite shop

In a break between the snow while the roads are clear and the belles are back in school, Mr Nell and I are going shopping for a three piece suite. We also need a new front door and should we have any money left in the piggy bank after that a bedroom carpet. It's all a bit of a novelty as the biggest and most exciting thing the house has had in ages was the new kitchen taps and the light in my office. We've found a suite we love and even better still it's in the sale - got to be something good in a recession right? I like to think we're doing our bit to boost the economy.
While we've agreed on the suite, the door may be a different matter. I found one I adore but Mr Nell hates it. It's white oak and art deco style. He favours painted steel traditional thirties type style. Hence we're off to look at doors today once we've ordered the furniture.
I also need to clean the house and I'm desperate to write the next chapter of A Scattering of Leaves as I have it all laid out in my head and have to get it onto paper before it vanishes into the mists.

Snowed under

Well we got more snow during the night, schools are all closed again and more snow is forecast. It's melting at the moment but forecast to freeze and the sideroads are nasty - water pooled on top of compacted snow. I've decided to work from home as there was no way I could safely make it to work and home again. Luckily I've plenty of work to do that I can get on with here. (I'm typing this on my coffee break while I wait for an email) I'm so glad I'd already planned tomorrow as an annual leave day. It all looks very pretty from my office window with the fields and trees coated in white but the sky is still grey and heavy.
After last years fall on the ice I'm not risking my hip again, it's taken two years to get to the point where I've reasonable mobility and co-ordination so I'll stay indoors till the ice clears.
Okay, break over - back to work! Time and the PCT wait for no woman.

Snow going

The snow is melting - hooray, so tomorrow the belles can return to school and I can hopefully get to work. I've been busy all weekend though, two more chapters done on Crystal Clear and one finished on A Scattering of Leaves, lots of critiquing, emails flying back and forth between my cp for Leaves as I worked with her stuff and she made comments on mine.
Phillipa Ashley and I are looking forward to our book launch at Waterstones on March 7th, there have been so many great responses we're both feeling really excited. My webman is busy revamping my website too so there'll be a few changes appearing soon - don't worry if you have trouble getting on over the next week or so it probably means we're working on stuff.
Even better this week I have a days holiday to take so I have Friday off, more writing time unless Mr Nell makes me leave my desk to go looking for a new front door.

Anyone for a snowball fight?

Well, the snow fell and is still falling. The belle's schools are closed and I expect them to be shut tomorrow too. At the moment the side roads are bad but the main roads are clear. I made a quick trek to the shops during a break in the snowfall this afternoon so we have provisions. Does anyone think this will all miraculously have melted by Wednesday when I have to get to work?

Waiting for snow

We're supposed to get snow in the next couple of days. The sky is surly and leaden while the trees seem to be waiting. It's certainly cold enough outside. The wind is building and every now and again I see the remains of the long dead dry brown leaves of the Hawthorns swirl past my window. It's the kind of weather to make you want to stay in, curl up by the fire with a good book or an old film and a mug of hot chocolate.
Last night was movie night for me and the Shagster aka eldest belle. When Mr Nell is on nights we get to watch chick flicks in our jammies. Last night was Pretty in Pink - such a fun film with all the Eighties stuff going on in there and such great lines 'Blaine? His name is Blaine? That's not a name, it's a major appliance.' And who doesn't get a lump in their throat for the unrequited love of the Duckman.
I also got to read a good book. Janet Gover's The Farmer Needs A Wife - lovely stuff - seriously - go buy a copy, you won't be sorry.
For the next treat on our wintry weekend tonight is Dancing on Ice and the leg-end that is the fabulously unco-ordinated Todd Carty.

Traffic lights

When did the law change that people can go over traffic lights on red? Red does still mean stop doesn't it? You know the drivers I mean, you wait in line to turn across the traffic but have to wait till the oncoming traffic obeys the red light and stops - except no - apparantly you can ignore the red signal and come across leaving the cars waiting patiently to turn stranded in the centre of the junction.
The other day I counted five cars crossing on red - why? Surely they all can't be rushing a pregnant woman about to give birth to the hospital or transporting a kidney that must reach the transplant patient within a fixed time. Where are they all going that they absolutely can't obey a traffic signal? Answers on a postcard please - or the comments.

sun and shadow

I have a panel of material that I stick across the window of my office when the sun comes through and I can't see the computer screen. My office faces south and you all know how much I hate curtains. So a few weeks ago I couldn't read my screen so I put up the panel - ever since then it's been grey and yucky and dark. Should I take the panel down? What do think? I'm placing bets that the minute I do the sun will be out again.

Pictoral Inspiration

I've been looking at the pictures we took on our research trip in the summer for my inspiration while I'm working on Crystal Clear and to cheer up a grey January day here they are. This how I picture Marla's shop - The Crystal Palace, Marla and Zee's cottage is in this row and then there is the view of Brixham harbour where Drew and Zee meet quite often.

The small stuff

Today has been taken up with small things. Paying a bill that required a trip to the bank, looking for new jeans that actually came close to fitting, adding in the edits that my cp suggested for A Scattering of Leaves, writing and mailing out this quarters newsletter to my subscribers, posting up promo notices for mine and Phillipa's book launch and generally doing all kinds of stuff that needed to be done.
I can't believe we're almost at the end of January already. Outside the sky is grey and sullen but in the garden the snowdrops are beginning to peek through and the squirrel is on the fence chattering abuse at the magpies.
My brochures have arrived from the Welsh tourist board and I'm happily dreaming of some warm summer days by the sea.

And there is light!

I haven't had a working in light in my office for months. I had a three light spotlight on the ceiling but it was so old that as the bulbs went you couldn't get them out. Because my office is reached through an archway off the landing it doesn't have a door and the landing has good light so it wasn't urgent to fix the lighting. Now though I have a lovely glass and chrome halogen spotlight and it's very bright in here now.The electrician from along the street came and put it up for me and I feel all floodlit. (The pic is of my office but you can't see the light)
Yes, I do have bats on my desk, yes, that is a purple monkey hanging from my chair, and yes, of course there's coffee in that mug lol.
One and a half more chapters done on Crystal Clear - hoping to finish the other chapter today then I can edit chapter's 7 and 8 of A Scattering of Leaves and maybe start chapter nine as I will have hit my targets for this month - YAY!!!

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Bah Humbug

The meeting was a load of rubbish. The sponsor was a chap with an MBE, orange skin and Simon Cowell's teeth. He also had the politicians gift for talking absolute twaddle without directly answering a single question effectively. I think he must have talked the council into submission.
Basically when I talked to the councillor with the power to veto this whole crock of nonsense at the end of the meeting I got to what I'd already guessed was the heart of the matter.
The other school is failing and has low numbers and needs to close.
The council has no money.
The children need to be accomodated and taught elsewhere.
The council has no money.
The council needs new school buildings.
The council has no money
Central Govt won't give the council money for new buildings.
The council has no money
Central govt will give money for new buildings if council have academy
It doesn't matter that the council would save money by closing the other school that could be diverted into acomodating the children and that as school rolls across the area are dropping it's not a big problem. It doesn't matter that academy's based on the govt's own research are not the success they thought they'd be and underperform ordinary schools. It doesn't matter that parents and students alike don't feel an academy is what's right for us.
The council wants the new shiny building promised by the sponsor.
Bah Humbug!

More protesting

Tonight is the meeting with the faithbased sponsor for the proposed new academy. That should prove interesting! I, along with many other parents, have been doing my homework and so far I am not at all impressed. We'll see what the answers are to our questions.
Writing wise I completed chapter eight of A Scattering of Leaves, so now I'm back into Crystal Clear. Phillipa Ashley and I are planning a joint launch for Animal Instincts and It Should Have Been Me so if you are around the Merry Hill Centre on March 7th between 12 and 2 come and say Hi!
The picture is one Mr Nell took with his new camera at Far Forest over the weekend. Woods always feel spooky and mysterious to me and just a little scary.

End of something

Today marked the end of something special with the sad death of Tony Hart. For millions of british children he was a huge part of their childhood. A gifted artist and a great communicator he'll be sadly missed.

Still

Last night was blowing a gale and the forecast was for more of the same today. So far so good though as the wind has dropped, the sky is blue and all is still. I don't know if it will last.
We had a family of foxes drop by early this morning, three of them, trotting along the road without a care in the world. We hadn't seen them for a while but they all looked healthy and happy in the early morning sunshine, no doubt on their way to raid a dustbin or to try and catch one of the ducks that are overwintering further up the lane at the seasonal pond.
Mr Nell has taken the belles out with his new camera to snap some pics - I don't know if he'll catch any of the wildlife. I'm making the most of his absence by trying to write more of a Scattering of Leaves as later this week I'm scheduled to do two more chapters of Crystal Clear if I'm to make this months targets.
Lately I've been doing a lot of critiquing, something I love to do as I always feel I learn so much from it. I also recieved my critiques back from Kimberly on a Scattering of Leaves. That was immensely helpful and I've incorporated many of her suggestions into the story so the book is growing slowly. I'm enjoying writing both books and then yesterday I had a great idea for the starting place of the next Little Black Dress story - always a sign that things are going well.

Small squee

Go Here to read one of my short stories! Called Permanent Wave it's been published online in Samhain Publishing's magazine - The Samhellion. There are also some articles and recipes there too.

Web revamp

In line with revamping this blog I've also been tidying up my website now some of my publishers have ceased to be. I still have some work to do on it but I'm slowly getting it sorted out. I've looked at all kinds of nice writerly websites for inspiration but I quite like my nice simple little site. What do you all like to see on a writers website? and most importantly what don't you like?
My personal dislikes are music - it makes me jump and if I don't like the authors taste in music I assume I'm not going to like their books - which is pretty daft but no one said I had to be rational. I also hate dark backgrounds and light text - I'm old and crabby and the eyes aren't what they used to be.
So, how about it - what would you like to see or not see on a writers website?

Protesting

Last night I attended a meeting to allegedly consult with parents and other interested parties proposals to merge the belle's school with another school. The other school, unlike the belle's school is a failing school and our council lured by the thought of sparkly new buildings are planning to sell all the kids down the river by opting for an academy backed by a faithbased sponsor.
It doesn't seem to register that the schools would be on a split site for years, or that all the best teachers are planning to leave if this goes ahead, or that academy's, by the Govt's own independent commissioners, are known to have a poorer academic record than 'ordinary' schools, or that we have serious concerns over what a faithbased organisation would want to impose on the school, or that they plan to start it all in September! and that this was the first meeting.
Oh, and did I mention said, faithbased sponsor have had such a howling success in Southampton with an academy there that the principal and nineteen teachers quit in a three month period and the pupils rioted in the school?
Hmm, methinks they had better think again because they are in for a fight.

News!

GO HERE for details of a wonderful new anthology to celebrate 50 years of the Romantic Novelist's Association. Published by MIRA it's due out in hardback this autumn and paperback in Feb 2010.
My bit of the news is that alongside such stellar names as Adele Parks, Sophie Weston, Rosie Harris, and tons of other people is me!
My fun story is called Wishing For George - this is the one with Muriel the car park fairy. I first wrote it a few years ago as an exercise for my local writers group when we were set the challenge of writing a modern fairy story. I tweaked and polished and scrubbed it up and I'm so excited and honoured to be included in such a lovely book. I can't wait to read all the other stories.

Birthdays

Today is the eldest belle's birthday - she'll be 15. As part of her birthday treat we're going to see John Barrowman in Panto tonight at the Hippodrome. This year it's Robin Hood. She has a Thorntons birthday cake and is very delighted with all her presents. Clothes from her favourite shops and a new austrian crystal dog for her collection.
I can't quite believe I have a daughter this age - already she's talking about when she leaves school next year and driving lessons are only two years away. I am so not ready for this.

Cyber hand holding

I love my network of writing friends - some of them I've never met in real life as we are geographically so far away but knowing they are there is so wonderful. A Scattering of Leaves - well the first thirdish of the book - has just gone to my agent for her opinion. It's a story I'm loving writing but because it's different from my other work I've been really nervous about my ability to pull it off.
This is where my lovely friends are so terrific, Kimberly, my new cp, in Italy,who is a very talented writer herself, Lis, my fabulous beta reader and friend in Canada, Laura, my former editor and great friend in the US and of course Jess - all of whom give me sensible advice and help me to tell the wood from the trees.
So, while I'm waiting for the verdict I'm cracking on with Crystal Clear and I'm moving on with A Scattering of Leaves. I'm on target so far despite my family's best efforts this week to stop me from writing anything by constantly squabbling and interrupting while I'm working. I need a door for my office.

Back in the human race

I got my hair cut today and my highlights redone so now I'm blonde again. Finished another chapter on Crystal Clear and started on the next one. Very satisfying to see my word count beginning to creep up again. I'm still working on A Scattering of Leaves, polishing at the moment but I plan to get cracking on a new chapter soon. I've been fortunate enough to have some good input from a couple of writing friends and it's all coming together a bit more now.
The plumber has just fixed my leaky dishwasher pipe under my sink and plumbed in my new kitchen taps so now they don't drip any more - hooray! I've had ones with the knock down and knock up switches on so Mr Nell doesn't have to twist them. They look very smart.
One of my colleagues told me I looked svelte yesterday - so it looks as if my sacrifice of the custard creams is working.

One week

Into the New Year and it's going well. I'm sticking to my healthy eating and although I haven't weighed myself (that would depress me) judging by my clothes, I'd say the weight was starting to move. What matters more is that I feel better. Writing wise I was on target until the last couple of days when the day job kicked in but that's okay as I expected that and I still kept up with all my organizational things that I intended to do.
All in all my first week has gone well.
So, how was it for you?

Good Stuff!

I'm determined that 2009 will be a good year despite the nay sayers and so far so good at least on some fronts. Congratulations to the RNA romance prize nominee's. These were announced today and include Kate Hardy, Fiona Harper, India Grey, Jessica Hart and Little Black Dresses Lucy Broadbent and Robert Hale's Beth Elliot.
Winning the RNA prize literally changed my life so it's exciting to see the new list.
Other good news today included getting my PLR statement for library lending. Yay! I love libraries and always try to support them.
My other really big and exciting news is something I don't think I'm allowed to talk about yet but it made me squee with excitement when I heard the news. I promise as soon as I can spill the beans I will. He he I love being a tease!

Snow!

We woke up this morning to two inches of snow. Miss la had to don her wellies to head off for school. The other two aren't back till tomorrow and had a shopping trip planned. Miss Boo has now spent her Christmas and birthday loot on an ipod nano and docking station. Miss shaggy is waioting till after her birthday on Sunday to decide what to spend her cash on. I spent my money too - I was intending to spend it in M&S, I wanted jeans, work trousers, tops etc but after looking through the racks a chat with the staff confirmed my suspicions. You can be tall and thin or short and fat but you can't be short and thin or tall and fat. They have cut back the size options on the ends of their clothing ranges so my chances of getting any new trousers that looked as if they hadn't fallen out with my ankles was precisely nil.
Fortunately the sale was still on in Jacques Vert so I now have a very beautiful black suit (see pic) and a gorgeous top. I think I'll have to give up on the jeans for yet another year unless I manage to stick with my weight loss plan.
It's been two days - why aren't I thin already?

Dust

Well, the tree is down and all the indoor decs out away. Just the door wreath and Santa signs to move but as it's snowing right now they can wait till tomorrow. The house always looks so big when everything is put away but everything is so dusty! I need to wash all my cut glass vases again and repolish all the furniture that I beeswaxed before christmas.
I suddenly realised that March 5th will be here sooner than I thought and with it the release of Animal Instincts. So, I changed all my pics so I can admire my beautimous cover and it'll remind me to get a move on writing Crystal Clear. Incidentally there are great preorder offers on at Amazon UK and Play.com on Animal Instincts if you have Christmas money burning a hole in your pocket lol.
I've addited over 2k to A Scattering of Leaves and I'm ready to move onto the middle third of the story now. This month is going to be fingers to the keyboard and write like the wind on both books.

Wired for sound

The last few days I've had a really annoying song playing in my head. My friend, Laura, calls them earworms. Usually they relate to something I'm writing or are songs I quite like but this one I can't figure out. I've been polishing up A Scattering of Leaves ready to write the next section so why I keep hearing Cliff Richards singing Wired for Sound in my head I have no clue.
Mr Nell says I shouldn't tell people what goes on in my head - he reckons it's a dark and scary place. With Cliff warbling away in it it's scary alright _ I must play my Nickelback album that I got for Christmas and see if I can dislodge him.

Happy New Year

It's that point at the end of the old year and the start of the new that everyone starts listing their resolutions or goals for the New Year. 2008 was a watershed year for me in my writing life and my daywork life. Both have bought new highs and new challenges.
So for 2009 my goals are: (insert drumroll)
1. Manage my weight - this was difficult when my mobility was so poor. It's still going to be a challenge but I need to do it and now I'm in better shape mentally and physically it's the right time for me to work on it.
2. I hope my writing is growing stronger with each book, this past year I've been working on the areas where I felt I needed to improve. For 2009 I want to finish writing A Scattering of Leaves, it's very different from my other books and I don't know if it will work but I think for my own development I need to do it. Fingers crossed that my lovely agent will like it.
3. I need to organise my time better, this year has been an adjustment between working an 80 hour plus week (a combo of writing and day job) down to a more managable time but now I need to plan it more effectively.

I'm really looking forward to this year despite the economic doom and gloom. Thanks to everyone who's supported my writing journey this far. I love and appreciate all of you.

Ending the year

I always think this time between Christmas and New Year is rather odd. It's as if time is suspended and there is a sense of nostalgia tinged with optimism in the air. I have so much to be thankful for this last year. My friends, my fab new job, my physio, my family, my wonderful agent, editors and publishers, my readers and my work colleagues.
The excitement of walking into WH Smiths or Waterstones for the first time and seeing my book on the shelf was a huge highpoint and one I'll never forget.
I'm looking forward to the New Year, to seeing Animal Instincts join Blue Remembered Heels on the shelves and to finishing Crystal Clear. A Scattering of leaves is shaping up nicely in my head for the next third of the story and I've started my planning for the New Year.
Family wise we've booked some sites for our holidays, some new, some old favourites and I get to spend time in my beloved Wales.
In my day job, my partner and I are drawing up business plans and keeping our fingers crossed for a big project that we have in the pipeline. If it happens life will get very hectic but it will be so worth it.
2009 will bring a lot of changes for many people I think, with the economic events around the world but I think we'll all come out of it with our values reaffirmed about the things that are truly important in life and that can only be a good thing.

Black and blue

Well, my left arm is, from my wrist to my shoulder. I also have a nice big bruise on my bum, probably from landing on so many steps. To cap off my awful, no-good terrible bad day my male angel fish, Brad, died. So poor Angie is a widow and looking very lonesome and sad without her mate to bully and harrass.
I did have some nice things happen though too, my thanks to the lovely readers who emailed me yesterday to say they'd read Blue Remembered Heels over the holiday and had enjoyed it. It's so nice when people say they've enjoyed something you've written.
Mr Nell has taken Miss La shopping today, her Christmas money is already burning a big hole in her pocket as she wants a new semi-acoustic guitar. Santa seemed to do well with the rest of the Belle's gifts, they got a WII between them and have been happily bowling and playing on the music game ever since. Boo got a mini sewing machine and a snowglobe for her collection. Shaggy got an Animal handbag and cd's. La got Professor Layton and the Curious Village for her DS and has been glued to it ever since solving puzzles.
I got socks - yay! A gorgeous Radley purse to put in the bag I bought in October, cd's of The Killers and Nickelback, earrings, perfume and lots of lovely, lovely, books. I also got some money so I'm planning to replenish my almost gone supply of Elemis Milk bath and body lotion. Elemis is horrendously expensive but it's the only stuff that really suits my skin and believe me I've tried most things, and it does last me a really long time, so it's my treat to myself.
What did you get for Christmas?

Throwing yourself into things

I celebrated Christmas by hurling myself down the stairs this morning. I'm not too sure how it happened. One minute I was padding along the landing clutching my empty coffee mug ready to go get a refill. The next minute I was airborne. I landed on my (fortunately in this case) well-padded rear and bumped from step to step landing in an unceromonious heap four steps from the bottom and still holding my mug. I now have a nice line in black bruises all down my left arm and a small bruise forming on the right side of my bum. Once my family had ascertained that I hadn't damaged myself or the staircase my plight provided them with their entertainment for the morning.
Sigh.

Only two more sleeps till Christmas

I finished work today at the day job. It's so lovely to be working with such nice people. We had a mini Christmas buffet party with nice food and finished off our work. The house is starting to look more like somewhere guests could come as the belles have finally tidied up their rooms and cleaned up the family room. I've straightened the kitchen so now all I have to do is collect my veg from the farm shop tomorrow and defrost things. Oh, and buy bread.
Tomorrow will be lovely as I do a lot of prep for Christmas day - setting the table, making the bacon and turkey rolls and the cauliflower cheese. Then at teatime we visit my mom's chapel for the Christingle service which the belles love. I see all the people who I've known since I was a child. Then we're going back to my mom's for hot pork sandwiches.
Then when we get home Mr Nell will have finished work and we plan to watch The Muppets Christmas Carol together and eat chocolate and popcorn. Fab!
So, however you plan to spend your holiday, from my home to yours have a wonderful Christmas.

16 Things about me

The lovely Christina Phillips tagged me with this and as I need a break from putting away laundry and cleaning my kitchen I'll give it a go. I'm not going to tag people as it's so close to the holidays but if you read this and want to do it - consider yourself tagged.
Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 16 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 16 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

1. I can speed read.
2. I can't bear to kill things - even spiders and bugs, I catch them and put them outside.
3. I can't stand heights.
4. I'm addicted to coffee.
5. I have dyscalculia.
6. I make a really good roast dinner.
7. I can't sing but think I can.
8. If I wasn't married to Mr Nell I would be stalking Bryan Adams.
9. I love to be by the sea even though I live as far inland from the sea as it's possible to get in the UK.
10. I hate being cold and wet.
11. I have no co-ordination.
12. My idea of hell would be a skiing holiday - see items 10 and 11.
13. I love watching really cheesy reality TV shows.
14. I spend far too much time on the internet.
15. I only watch films with happy endings.
16. My favourite colour is yellow.

There, now you know all sorts of stuff about me - have a bash if you want to and pop by Christina's - (link is in the sidebar) to learn sixteen things about her.

Almost done

I've hopefully made my last pre Christmas post office visit. I've given out almost all of my cards and parcels except for the people who'll be sharing Christmas day with us. I've sent e cards to those people whose addresses I've misplaced when my computer died and I lost a file. Everything is wrapped up except one last little item which I hope will arrive before Christmas. Bits of the house are emerging from the usual chaos although I doubt if everything I'd like to have done will get done in time for the big day. Yesterday, one of my best friends stopped by and we had our annual catch up and present swap which was lovely.
I just have one more day at the day job - Tuesday and then I can really get into the Christmas spirit. My cold is still hanging on along with my winter cough but hopefully that'll be better by Christmas Eve so I can enjoy the carols at the Christingle service.
I've been thinking about carols a lot, I like some of the newer ones like - Come, join the celebration but I love the traditional ones too. My favourite is Good Christian men rejoice - which is traditionally sung on Christmas day. What's your favourite?

Almost the end of the year

So I finally plucked up enough courage to revamp my blog. The pink is gone in favour of blue to match my website. I think my links are all up to date. I took out some old ones and popped in some new but if I missed you then let me know and I'll put you in. Hope you like the new look!

Win a book!

Courtesy of my fabulous Romance Diva friend, Ciar Cullen. Visit her blog and vote for a book to enter the draw - HERE! Rules are on her site. Naturally it would be cool if you voted for Blue Remembered Heels but there are some fab books on there.

Run, run Rudolph

I love that ad on the TV where the garage gets raided at midnight by desperate present hunters. I love hearing Dave Edmunds singing on the backing and the looks on the peoples faces when they get windscreen wipers and car airfreshners for gifts. I keep getting the nagging feeling that I've forgotten to get something or do something or buy for somebody for Christmas but as I still can't think what it is or who it is I may have to seek inspiration from the ad. So if you get a can of de-ice or some screenwash from me this year you'll know it was you.
The man in action Did I mention I lurve Dave Edmunds?

Cold and carols

My youngest belle broke up from school today and is busy gloating. The other two don't finish till Friday. This afternoon was the traditional short carol service at the village church for Miss La's school. It's always a nice service but the heating didn't seem to be working today so it was cold. I wish too that as well as the more modern carols that chuches would sing the traditional ones too. Not that my singing was up to much thanks to my cold and sore throat.
I do feel quite Christmassy now though. If I can just get around to wrapping up the last couple of presents and distributing the cards I give out by hand I'll be almost there. The house is still not tidied as I've felt too crappy to do all the things I'd planned - ah well, I can always rope in the belles to help at the weekend.

Happy Birthday to..

Mr Nell, who shares his birthday with Jane Austen.
He might be feeling his age after this conversation with Miss La, our youngest belle.

La, tweaking Mr Nell's eyebrows - 'Grey suits you Daddy.'
Cue the rest of us to start snickering at the expression on his face. Followed by La adding -'of course if it bothers you I could get you some of that hair colour for men that would make it go brown again.'

In other news I've been aditing my project book and it now has a name as I hated the working title. It now called A Scattering of Leaves. A reminder that if you want to buy any of my Moonlit or ByGrace books you only have a short time left so Fictionwise, Lulu or All Romance e books are your places to go.
Amazon have a great preorder price on Animal Instincts if you're in the UK. Play.com also have a good preorder deal where you get free delivery.

Living down a hole

My throat feels as if I've been gargling with razor blades and I'm feeling very woeful at the moment. I hate feeling ill especially when I've stuff to do and had taken time off to do it. The RNA longlist came out today for the Romance Prize. I only recognised two of the books on it, the Cecilia Ahern and Sophie Kinsella ones. That's why I think I must have been living down a hole for the last year. Normally I'd have read at least a third of the titles. On that basis I'll vote for Sophie Kinsella as I love her writing. Can you keep a secret? is one of my favourite books. Cecilia has never really been my cup of tea. It would have been nice to see some Little Black Dress titles on there but maybe next year. Good luck to all the longlisters - not long to wait as the awards are early this year - in February.

X Factor - the finale

Alexandra won, as predicted. In the end I was hoping JLS aka the wiggles, might have stolen it but I think they could go on to be fantastic anyway so I suppose it's all good. I could have done without Alexandra's blubfest though.
Well, I still feel crappy but the tree is up and the garland is around the fireplace. I can't find my door wreath and we're not going to put up outdoor lights this year as I don't feel up to it. We have a star in the window of the family room and our tree is in the lounge bay window so that will have to do. I'm also not putting out so many of our decorations in the lounge this year - so no santa and the reindeer singing the BeeGee's or dancing Mr and Mrs Claus, or jinglebird tweeting a variety of tunes. I did let the belles get the singing santa and the dancing Christmas tree out though. Also we have the nativity sets in pride of place along with the fibreoptic tree for the dining room and the skiing fibreoptic snowman.
The cards are in a big pile waiting for Mr Nell's birthday on Tuesday. We never put them up till he's had at least a day with his cards out on their own.
I'm hoping I get well enough soon to give out our cards and presents to everyone. I'd hoped to do it this weekend but with how I feel I'm staying home watching films on TV. I just watched a really naff one about a star - very odd. I don't like fantasy stuff if it's too out there and this was most peculiar.

Bleurgh

As I still feel like crap on a stick I succumbed and went to the doctors. I now have antibiotics so hopefully I'll be back to what passes for normal around here soon. I did another post office run, so more stuff got mailed out. I love sending people surprises. Getting stuff in the post that isn't a bill or someone trying to sell you something is always so joyful. I adore getting Christmas cards too, catching up with peoples news and hearing from old friends.
The stuff is down from the loft and my landing is covered with boxes. The Belles are planning to decorate the house this weekend although I see the stash of chocolate decorations for the tree have already been sampled.
Next stop will be wrapping everything up and distributing family and neighbours stuff - plus I usually get to see one of my best friends too.

Five minutes of fame

Unfortunately the listen again link doesn't seem to be there for Tuesday so if you missed me then I'm sorry! The presenter has kindly sent me the file otherwise I wouldn't have heard it either as I was at work preparing for the board meeting when my little bit was on. My eldest belle heard it at school as her form teacher arranged for all the class to listen and my youngest caught it just before she went into her class. She was very impressed with hearing herself on the airwaves.
Lots of my colleagues heard it on their way into work so I think I provided them with the days entertainment!
As I'm not feeling to great this week, thanks to a low grade infection I'm taking back some of the time I'm owed from work and after tomorrow I'm not back in till Friday so hopefully I'll get chance to write my cards do another post office run, put up the tree and finally write again!!

This is the BBC...

Well, BBC radio WM at 8.50 tomorrow! My little radio snippet will be on. If you miss it you can go to the radio WM website and hit the morning show but be warned you'll have to listen to over two hours worth before they get to me and then I think it's a blink and you'll miss it thing.

It's oh so quiet

Shaggy has still got no voice, so she's at home - sigh. I put her to work wrapping some of the presents for family and friends. I've been doing one of my least favourite jobs - cleaning windows. I'm rubbish at it. They always look smeary even if I try all the tips from Anthea Turner or the how clean is your house people. Cleaning windows effectively is not one of my gifts. Actually, I'm not over brill at cleaning the oven or ironing or well, actually most kinds of housewifey type things.
I make a great roast dinner though and know lots of different ways of getting stains out of stuff. (The last one is because I'm clumsy and I have three kids)
At least you can see through the windows now, in fact, in a rush of blood to my head I even cleaned the brass on the front door ready to hang the Christmas wreath that I haven't got yet.
Now if I can just dig out the lounge and the family room and move the mountain of fossilised laundry in the utility, we might be able to put the decorations up at the weekend.

X Factor yay

So it's down to Alexandra, Hedgehog and the Wiggles for the final. Diana has gone. I'd like Alexandra or JLS to win as I think Hedgehog will have a career anyway. Plus time is on his side.
I got up this morning to some lovely emails and comments from readers who'd read Blue Remembered Heels. It still stuns me when people say they've enjoyed one of my books and I so appreciate hearing from people.
I have the next chapter of Crystal Clear ready in my head and I want to go over the first third of my project book. However, my eldest belle has lost her voice - much to the delight of her sisters and my house is still not clean/tidy enough for us to even begin getting ready for Christmas. In my defense, cleaning and tidying my house is like the painting of the Forth Bridge. I'm sure I'll get there, it just may be Christmas 2009 instead of this year.

Reality TV addiction

Captain Feathersword and Louis Walsh - Mmm, see any resemblance?
Well, the obnoxious DVD has gone from I'm a celeb and I really don't mind who wins out of the remaining three. I do have a sneaky favoritism for Martina as she's been great throughout the whole thing. X Factor won't be as good without Ruth to root for. I suspect JLS will go next. I'd been trying to think who they reminded me of with their different coloured tops, then, when I was clearing out some of the belle's old videos it hit me - The Wiggles! Now I keep expecting Louis to dress up like Captain Feathersword and pop up on stage with them.Wiggles or JLS?

No snow show

It's soggy here and cold but no sign just yet of the promised snow. The new kitchen is installed now at work - just a few tiny things to fix. It looks really good and everyone is so excited about wanting to use it, We have to move a few things around and order a new whiteboard and it's all good.
I finished another chapter on Crystal Clear so I think at the weekend I'll be ready to do the read through and edit on my project book. I think I have a cool title for it to as the current one is a bit naff and doesn't fit. Then I think once I'm happy with that bit I might ask my lovely agant to take a looksee and see what she thinks. Nail-biting stuff!

Radio

The lovely Chris from BBC radio WM came and did his recording this morning. Mr Nell arrived home just before he arrived, which was good. The Belles did a little bit - La did the most as Shaggy got the giggles and Boo announced she was too shy. It was all good fun and luckily the caffeine had kicked in so hopefully I'll sound vaguely coherent. I'll let you all know when it's going out and I'm told it'll be available on the listen again feature so for those of you in far flung places you too can hear my unlovely Black Country twang lol.
We had some snow this morning too, just enough to lighten the grass and create annoying mush on the road. It looks very chilly out though. I'll find out later as I'm hoping to finish my Christmas shopping and do my big Asda shop today.
Go Here to win Books Lots of lovely books for you to win including a signed copy of Blue Remembered Heels!

Uh oh

It sounded like a good idea when it was first mentioned. That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it. BBC radio WM are arriving at some hour of darkness tomorrow morning to record an interview with me. They also want to talk to the belle's and record our morning routine.
Those of you who know me well probably need oxygen at this point from where you're rolling around the floor laughing.
I know I'm not sociable on a morning until my first pint of coffee. Yes, Mr Nell is on nights and will arrive home just as the radio people turn up. Yes, my house is it's usual shambolic chaos and yes, I know my youngest belle will probably say something that'll send child protection agencies scurrying round to my house. That's if she doesn't make an on air plea for a dog!
Wish me luck and I'll keep you all posted.

Sigh

Ruth got knocked out of X Factor last night. Absolutely bonkers! JLS and Diana were much worse. Alexandra sang up a storm and Ruth was amazing. Little Hedgehog gurned for the camera and did his High School Musical routine. JLS were good on their second song. Diana was useless as usual - back to the no shoes as she walks like a turkey and would be way taller than the others if she wore heels. Again she didn't move about - there are never any clips of her with Brian learning routines which is grossly unfair as the others all have demanding routines to learn as well as their songs.
Britney Spears mimed through a tired looking dance routine.
Then it was I'm a celeb - How much longer do we have to suffer David Van Day and Esther Rantzen? Esther is more annoying than Timmy Mallet and that's a difficult thing to do.
Ah well, on with the show I suppose.
December 1st tomorrow and my calendar is filling up fast although as usual the youngest belle's school hasn't given us any dates for the school fayre, the carol service or the nativity evening. It really annoys me when they drop things on parents at the last minute usually they are during work time and expect people to attend. Hello - the day of the stay at home lady of leisure ended in the fifties. The mum's who aren't in paid work usually have other commitments too, caring for other children, relatives etc. We need a few weeks notice to organise diaries.

Foggy day

The world outside my window is enveloped in white mist. I can just see the outline of the squirrel picking his way along the bare branches of the tree at the end of the lane. I had a lovely surprise parcel in the post this morning which is making me grin. I just love surprises especially nice ones. Mr Nell has retrieved the advent box from the attic so now I have to fill the drawers with goodies for the belles. I love this run up to Christmas with the rustling of paper and hiding away of little treats and surprises.
I think I'm going to do another chapter on Crystal Clear this weekend. I know I said I was going to hit 30k on my other project but I need to give it time to breathe as it isn't quite right and if I forge ahead too quickly at this point then I know it's not going to work. I need to tidy, expand and adit the first third and I need a degree of separation in order to see clearly what I need to do. In other words, the fog has to lift in order for me to focus.

Headache

My head really aches today - I don't know if it's the lighting in my office at work or what but this is the second time lately I've had a day in the office and come home with a bad head. Last time this happened at the old job they checked the lights and found the one over my desk was about to catch fire - mmm, maybe I should mention it to someone?
The littlest belle has been trying to find out what she's getting for Christmas. This is the conversation at tea yesterday.
Mr Nell - I hope you're being good or Santa won't visit you.
La - I know what you're going to buy me anyway
Mr Nell - Really? What's that?
La - A guitar - you've been looking on ebay.
Mr Nell - Oh? How do you know?
La - I looked at your browsing history on your computer.
Me - You'd better start deleting that
La - with a shrug - s'okay, I know how to retrieve it.
I'm raising a master criminal.

Brrr

Who turned the heat off? It's turned very cold here now and I had to spend five minutes this morning de-icing the car before I could go to work. I've been planning my Christmas lists, presents, stuff I need to do around the house and all that kind of thing. It'll be so nice this year now I'm out of pain and mobile unlike last year when everything was so bleak. I'm really looking forward to enjoying everything.
I've put my project book on hold for a few days to give myself some perspective as I think I need to work more on polishing up the first chunk of the book before I can write the middle part. This means I'm back working on Crystal Clear which has been bubbling away nicely in the back of my mind. My poor heroine is just waking up to reality and it's not going to be pretty.

X Factor more

Hmm, interesting stuff last night. I thought Diana (frog chorus) Vickers should have been in the last two with Rachel. I thought the right person went although her last song was the best she's been ever since she came on the show. Ruth was amazing as was Alexandra. Little Hedgehog did a Troy Bolton impression and JLS seemed out of sync. No idea what was going on between Danni and Louis but I really miss Sharon.
Great to see Same Difference again - they just shine with joy and lift the atmosphere so much. I hope their tour does really well.
I'm a Celeb had David Van Day jibbering in a hole underground covered in bugs while Brian Paddick showed his all to the nation. Tonight we get to see Timmy Mallet tortured - marvellous. Just wish someone would make Esther do something. She sits there like one of the three witches from Macbeth poking the fire while George (Mr Sulu) Takei says 'oh my' every two minutes.
This weekend has been incredibly frustrating and annoying for all kinds of reasons. None of which I could do anything about but even so it's meant I haven't got on with any of the things I had planned and I now have a ton of stuff to sort out on Monday.

Curtain call

Phew! Show is done. The belle's did really well. If anyone saw Central TV news on Thursday the belle's dance teachers were on there - the ones in the silver top hats and tails. (The same hats that cover everything in glitter)I'd hoped for a nice collapse in a corner weekend but in my wisdom I agreed to go into work over the weekend to let the kitchen fitters in and out for the new kitchen I'm having installed into one of our projects. So now I have written info for the alarm and hundreds of unlabelled keys. Did I mention I'm not good with keys or locks? Oh, and the alarm system has a number code. If I don't blog for a few days assume the worst and come post bail for me!
I still need to write just over five K to meet my target for November but I had an epiphany the other day about why I wasn't happy with my first chapter. I need to move some stuff around I think but I have two wonderful friends from Romance Diva's who've kindly agreed to read it first to see if what I suspect is really the case. I'm a bit too close to it at the moment.
I'm also twitching now to get back into Crystal Clear. The next third of that story is forming in my head and I want to get rolling on it.
First up though, my neglected house really needs a good clean and sort out ready for Santa!

On with the show

Boo had a nice birthday, I can't believe she'd 12 already. She loved her thick fluffy Snoopy dressing gown. I took her and her friends to see HSM3 - lets just say I needed wine when I got back!
Dress rehearsal went okay although I need to fix Shaggy's top hat with elastic and spray it with hairspray to stop us getting covered in silver glitter everytime anyone even breathes near it. First show tonight and parent teacher interviews this afternoon.
It looks ominously dark outside and I'm hoping it doesn't snow.

In the jungle

I'm a celeb got off to a great start last night. Joe somebody scared of the klaxon, Kilroy getting half drowned and the star of the show - George 'Mr Sulu' Takei. He was excellent! Loved it.
I managed to finish chapter 7 of my project yesterday - total is just over 24k. This week is looking mad though. Tomorrow I'm taking 12 eleven year olds to see High School Musical 3 and visiting my little niece as it's her 4th birthday. Wednesday is Boo's birthday and full dress rehearsal. Thursday I've a parent teacher conference with Boo and Shaggy's teachers and it's first night of the show. Friday it's the show, somehow I have to fit in the day job and I have books to write.
Oh well, to quote one of the wisest philosophers of our day - Dory from finding Nemo - 'just keep swimming, just keep swimming...'

X Factor again again

So we waved goodbye to William Shatner's younger brother, the lovely Daniel. I didn't think he was the worst one on the show though.
Rachel was all over the shop - as usual.
Alexandra was terrific.
JLS needed to be given something a bit more up to date to sing - we have had other great groups other than the ***** Beatles. Queen, Simply Red, Hot Chocolate, Rolling Stones, Oasis, BeeGee's, Roxy Music, the list goes on - surely to heaven somebody could do something more imaginitive.
I have no clue about the song little Hedgehog did. I've never heard it before in my life - I even checked with the belles who are much more clued up than me and they'd never heard it before either.
Little Diana - the poor mans Duffy, did the frog chorus and looked sad although she had no problem squealing her head off when she went home in the week.
Ruth sang up a storm even though Brian Friedman did his best to silence her by wrapping her up in toilet roll like a demented version of the Andrex puppy while she belted out Angels.
Can't wait for next week but tonight it's I'm a Celeb. I love naff TV.
Now, on with the writing - 6k+ to go!

Write on

Back in the groove today. Yesterday I felt exhausted all day for some reason. No idea why. I'm back writing again today though and feeling really hopeful about what I'm doing. Less than 8k to go to hit my 30k target for this month and that'll mean the first third of the book will be done. Everything is setting up nicely for the middle third of the story and I'm getting so involved with the lives of my characters I think about them all the time - which I hope is a good sign.
Looking forward to X Factor tonight. Will ickle Diana sing? Who knows. Will Daniel survive another week? Will Danni wear yet another frock that looks as if it started life as a pair of her granny's curtains? Oh, the suspense!
Then on Sunday it's I'm a celebrity get me out of here - any show that will make Esther Rantzen eat bugs has got to be worth watching in my book.

Shoes

I got home from work yesterday to find Boo had a broken buckle on her school shoes. The entire buckle had failed and the metal had snapped. Thankfully Merry Hill is on it's Christmas opening hours so after I'd collected Shaggy from her Wednesday evening job I whizzed down to Clarks.
It's so nice to actually get good customer service! The girl took one look at the shoe and said it was a component failure and immediately offered a full refund or a new pair of shoes. Luckily they had a pair in Boo's size so she was soon sorted. Well done Clarks for doing the right thing - we were in and out in ten minutes. Totally unlike the school jumper episode in September.
The day job has quietened down for a spell so I'm making the most of taking a little of my time back and catching up with the things we'd intended to do before we got swamped. I so love my new job and the people I'm working with I keep getting carried away and working too many hours so I have to watch myself.
Thanks to the shoe episode and all the running around yesterday I didn't do any writing so I need to get going again if I'm going to crack my target by the end of the month. I did find time to read Liz Fielding's new book - Wedded in a Whirlwind. This is a fabulous story, I highly recommend it! Whenever I read one of Liz's books or one of Jessica Hart's I get struck down with writers envy.

Something in the air?

Gosh, all over the net yesterday people were falling out. It seemed every group or forum I visited someone was getting their knickers in a knot about something. Thank Heaven for the Sylvanian forum where everybody is calm and peaceful.
Now, I don't know if it's coincidence but most of the groups and forums that were having the spats aren't loading up today.
I see from the paper that people are even arguing about Laura getting booted from X Factor - Get Over It! Roll on I'm a celebrity get me out of here lol
Writing target today is to hit over 21k and with luck finish chapter six. That would be great. I write less on my work days as I'm exhausted usually when I get home, plus I have to do a lot of reading and writing in the day job.

Writing

Today was a nice day, I had a lovely time having lunch with Phillipa Ashley and Elizabeth Hanbury. No one ever really understands writing like other writers. Progress on the project is good and I'm hoping to break 20k today - yay! I don't know if this story will ever fly but some books you write because you have to and for me this is one of those stories. It's complex and intense and totally unlike anything else I've ever done so I hope I can pull it off.
Once I've got a good chunk of it under my belt I plan to return to Crystal Clear and finish that ready for my deadline. I enjoy having two different stories on the go - must be my grasshopper brain!

Wet, wet, wet

And I don't mean the group. Everywhere around here is flooding. The drains are clogged with the falling leaves and the rain has been so torrential there are hugs pools forming across the lanes. I guess it's better to have it falling as rain rather than snow but I wish it would stop falling at all - at least for a few days.
We lost our lovely little black Molly fish the other day and Angie, my lovely but dim, angel fish ate one of the neons. We've bought some more rosy gourami to make up for the loss and another pretty lady dalmation molly for Mr Molly to add to his hareem.
Angie and Brad - the angel fish have been bribed with blood worms to try to stop them snacking on the three remaining neons while if the clown loach get any fatter they'll get stuck in the windows of their pineapple house.
If the rain keeps falling I shall grow gills and a fin myself.

X Factor again

Tonight is apparantly Mariah Carey night. Hmm, I can only think of two songs she's done. I can't say I'm a fan although I like her Christmas one. It's be a challenge for Daniel, Little Hedgehog and JLS to sing one of her tracks although the Sun, that fount of all knowledge and reliable facts, says 'little' Diana has lost her voice. I won't be mean and say what I thought when I read the news. Instead I'll wish all the contestants good luck.
I'm up to 18K on my project now, just finished chapter five. I'd love to hit 30k by the end of November - I know I said December before but I really need to push this on before I go back to Crystal Clear. I've had a real boost this week and some lovely messages from readers of Blue Remembered Heels.
A reminder that if you want copies, either electronic or print of my Moonlit and By Grace books grab them now! Once December 31st arrives they'll be gone.

Foggy

It's grey and drizzly here today. I didn't hear or see many fireworks last night, I suspect the credit crunch has taken it's toll. I was always amazed when I worked at Asda selling fireworks what people were prepared to spend. The huge expensive £50 and £25 a throw jobs would go like hot cakes. I always felt so mean taking home my £14.99 selection box and extra pack of rockets.
Last night was also my local writers group meeting - as always it was great fun and I now know about Japanese Haiku poetry even if my dyscalculia means I get a severe headache if I try to write it.
The dance show is drawing nearer along with the rehearsal schedule and Miss Boo's bithday. Her actual birthday is the day of the dress rehearsal so I think I'll try and sort something out for a few days later for her birthday. She'd like a cinema trip followed by Pizza, I'm hoping the cinema's don't do their usual trick and pull all the child friendly films around her birthday ready for the Christmas ones to kick off a week later. Better go do my research - High School Musical 3 anyone?

Writing

I had a really good day yesterday. The kids were at school, Mr Nell was at work and the house was nice and peaceful. I've twelve chapters done now on Crystal Clear and almost five chapters done on my other project. Not bad at all but I really want to get a push on over the next two months especially on my project book. It'd be nice to start the new year with a third of it done but with all the madness around here of school stuff, dance shows, and the extra things at the day job I'm not sure if I can manage it. It does give me something to aim for though and that's always a good thing.
I'm planning a revamp of my website and I need to update all my links both there and here so if I don't have you email me the info and I'll put you on.

X Factor

Come on, you knew I would be watching. I can't believe poor Austin got kicked off last night. Rachel may have raw talent but every week so far she has been rubbish. I also think little Hedgehog, the sixteen year old shouldn't be there. Daniel, who seems like a nice man but who looks like William Shatners younger brother, is okay but he's never going to sell out Wembley. JLS are good and I absolutely love Ruth, great voice, good personality and gutsy. Laura just shouts on every song she's given. Love Alexandra, good voice and versatile. Diana Vickers is just annoying - I can't take to her at all, we get this little Diana story - she wore shoes this week. The reason she doesn't normally wear shoes is because she's not exactly little. The nude Sooty act with her hand by her face is very annoying and why can't she move around? All the others have choreography as well as a song to think about.
I don't know who I want to win just yet - at the moment I'd say Ruth.
What do you think? Who are you backing this year?